Students from Imo state will be representing Nigeria in the 2016 World Schools De­bate scheduled to hold this year in Slovakia.
The students have qualified to represent the country in the inter-continental academic event after they had emerged the over­all winner at the president’s Inter-SUBEBS debate completion in the country.
Miss Precious Nnabugo, pre­cious Etoh, Favour Nneji, Olue­bube Duru and Goodness Nwane­bu had represented Imo state in the President’s Inter-SUBEBS de­bate competition, emerging first out of the thirty six states in the country that took part in the com­petition.
Addressing the students and their coordinators who paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Governor Rochas Okoro­cha commended them for doing the state proud and also urged them to do the nation proud by emerging the best in Slovakia, stressing that their winning the President’s Inter-SUBEBS Debate competition was a victory for Imo people and a kind of vote of con­fidence in the free education pro­gramme of his administration.
Governor Okorocha said “let me say first of all, how happy I am that in my time my children will be representing the entire nation outside the country. This is a vic­tory for me, victory for Imo peo­ple and victory for the free educa­tion programme of the state.”
He continued, “there is no other way to explain this develop­ment than to say, it is the outcome of the free education programme of the state. It is a feat. I charge you to go and conquer the world for the nation, as you conquered the nation for the state. Go and shine in Sloviakia.”
To encourage the students to do well in Slovakia, the governor promised to give them scholar­ship to study in any country of their choice if they come first.
The coordinator, Mrs.Adim Madumere Chinwe had earlier commended the governor for the free education programme that is also qualitative, following the quality of the products of the free education initiative, promising to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the team shines in Slovikia to the extent of emerging victorious.